FEBRUARY 20, 2025
FREE
BERLIN • NORTH WORCESTER COUNTY• OCEAN PINES
Former officer for town dies on way to fire Retired cop J.D. Lawson was with hometown dept.
SUBMITTED PHOTOS/BAYSIDE GAZETTE
Along with their co-workers, CJ Rounds and Tony Howard of the Ocean Pines Public Works Department have been busy this winter dealing with several plow-worthy storms.
When it snows, grueling shifts battling drifts Ocean Pines Public Works crews intense labors begin before storms even arrive By Josh Davis Contributing Writer (Feb. 20, 2025) When the first snowflakes fall in Ocean Pines, most residents cozy up indoors, watching the world turn white from the comfort of their homes. But for the Ocean Pines Public Works team, snowfall marks the start of long, grueling shifts battling the elements to keep roads safe and passable. “It all depends on the storm,” Tony Howard, a veteran member of the Public Works crew, said. “This last one (before this week) was about 12 hours, but sometimes we’re out for 24 hours straight or longer.” Howard, alongside fellow crew member CJ Rounds, is no stranger to these intense shifts. Their work begins long before the first flake touches the ground. “The day before a storm, we start loading up equip-
ment, checking everything to make sure it’s running,” Rounds said. “We fill the spreaders and pretreat the roads as much as we can.” This winter alone, Public Works crews have tackled four snowstorms, often working overnight shifts. Two of those required plowing 80 miles of road, plus clearing parking lots for essential facilities, including the police department, administration offices, community center, fire stations, the Sports Core Pool, and the Yacht and Golf Club. Two others requiring only salting. To improve road treatment, Ocean Pines is exploring the use of a brine mix – a liquid solution that prevents snow and ice from bonding to pavement. “You’ve probably seen the white stripes on the See PINES page 10
By Steve Green Executive Editor (Feb. 20, 2025) A retired Berlin police officer died Monday night responding to a structure fire in West Virginia. J.D. Lawson was 54. After his retirement from the Berlin Police Department in 2023 as a lieutenant, Lawson returned to his hometown of War, W.Va. During his time with Berlin, Lawson was also an active member with the Ocean City Volunteer Fire Company for nearly 20 years. According to a press release from the West Virginia State Fire Marshal, Lawson, 54, died responding to a J.D. Lawson structure fire in McDowell County, W.Va. Around 7:25 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 17, McDowell County 911 received a report of a structure fire in the 12000 block of Marshall Highway in Jolo, W.Va. The War Volunteer Fire Department responded along with the Bradshaw Volunteer Fire Department and Raysal Volunteer Fire Department. On to the way to fight the fire, Lawson, a deputy chief with the War Volunteer Fire Department, became ill, according to the press release. The fire apparatus driver immediately turned the truck around and started driving in the direction of Welch Community Hospital. The team met up with an EMS unit and transferred Lawson to that unit. The ambulance continued to Welch Community Hospital with Lawson, who became unconscious, and CPR efforts were initiated by the See RETIRED page 10
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